Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 149: Killing the father and seizing the throne!
Before the end of the first month of the year, Lu Bu and Liu Bei left Yecheng.

One of them wanted to go back to Yangzhou to reorganize the troops and launch an attack on Sun Ce in the spring to completely occupy Yangzhou;

One of them secretly led troops to Yizhou according to Liu Xie's instructions.

Yuan Shao did not take the departure of the two to heart, because he was also busy preparing for the war against Youzhou and had no time to pay attention to other things.

Yuan Mansion, Council Hall.

"The Lantern Festival has passed, and it's time to reorganize the army and food supplies." Yuan Shao looked at Shen Pei and said.

Last year, we launched a massive attack on Youzhou, and we suffered a lot of losses among the 30,000 troops we brought. We need to replenish them, and at the same time, we also need to raise enough food and supplies to prepare for the war in Youzhou after the spring.

Shen Pei bowed and replied: "My Lord, the troops can be replenished within a month. However, the distribution of weapons and equipment and the preparation of logistics and food will take some time, but they will be ready before March."

"Well, very good." Yuan Shao nodded with satisfaction and praised: "It is indeed right to leave the logistics matters to Zhengnan. Whether it is the dispatch of food and grass or the recruitment of soldiers, everything is well managed."

"Xianfu, Xianyi, both of you need to study hard."

Upon hearing this, the brothers Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang bowed and agreed.

Shen Pei said sternly, "My lord, you are too kind. I am just doing my duty. My lord, fighting on the front line is already difficult, so how can I not want to share your worries?"

"Please rest assured, my lord, in your expedition to Youzhou. I will do my best to ensure logistics and there will be no mistakes."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall couldn't help but glance at Xu You.

Last year, the incident of Xu You's wife and children embezzling food and wages caused quite a stir. In order to prevent the troops on the front line from becoming uneasy, Shen Pei enforced strict military discipline and beheaded his wife and children together as a warning to others.

Saying such words in front of Xu You now is somewhat hurtful.

But what was unexpected was that after Xu You heard Shen Pei's words, he took the initiative to step forward and said: "Shen Zhizhong is right. Logistics is related to the victory or defeat of the war and is of paramount importance."

"Last time, I failed to restrain my son, and he committed the serious offense of embezzling food and money, which almost affected the master's plan to conquer Youzhou. It was my fault, and I hope the master will punish me."

After saying this, Xu You bowed deeply to Yuan Shao.

Seeing this scene, Ju Shou, Shen Pei, Feng Ji, and even Tian Feng were all surprised.

Xu You, who has always been so proud...actually admitted his mistake on his own initiative?

Does the sun rise from the west?

Even Yuan Shao was caught off guard by this. Looking at Xu You who was bowing deeply in front of him, he was stunned and couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

He had seen the changes in Xu You over this period of time, and now he was even more embarrassed to admit his mistakes in public in front of Shen Pei and others.

Yuan Shao knew Xu You's character best and knew that his action was sincere.

In this light, his last request for Shen Pei to enforce the law strictly and impartially seemed a bit inhumane.

After all, Xu You had followed him for so many years, and they were close friends, so he should be given a break and allowed to pay gold instead of the fine.

"Ziyuan, get up." Yuan Shao sighed slightly and said sincerely, "This matter has passed, and it was your son's fault. It has nothing to do with you. How could I blame you?"

"You have followed me for many years, worked hard and made great contributions, and you are also my best friend. If I want to achieve great things in the future, I will also need your assistance."

Xu You's eyes were slightly red, and he said with tears in his voice: "Thank you for your trust, my lord. I will definitely work together with Shen Zhizhong to manage the rear area for you."

Yuan Shao helped him up with a gentle look, and they looked very harmonious.

Shen Pei looked at Xu You with a frown on his face, his mind full of confusion.

He still remembered the look in Xu You's eyes not long ago, as if he wanted to eat him.

It's only been half a month, how come such a big change has happened?
Shen Pei was puzzled, but he also knew that he must not raise such questions at the moment, otherwise Yuan Shao would certainly be unhappy and others would think that he was deliberately targeting Xu You.

After pacifying Xu You, Yuan Shao said to everyone, "Ziyuan knows his mistakes and can correct them. He puts the overall situation first. I am very pleased. The war is imminent. I hope you can put aside your prejudices and conflicts like Ziyuan did. Let's focus on the war in Youzhou!"

"promise!"

Everyone responded respectfully, and the atmosphere on the scene became quite high.

Xu You wiped the tears from his face, adjusted his mood, and said to Yuan Shao: "My lord, I have something to say about Bingzhou."

"Hmm? Ziyuan, just go ahead and say it." Yuan Shao's attitude towards Xu You has changed a lot during this period. Now he feels even more guilty towards him and his attitude is very kind.

Xu You had already prepared his words in his mind, and said, "After the spring, the governor of Bingzhou will lead 10,000 elite troops to Yizhou to attack Zhang Lu in Hanzhong.

By then, Bingzhou's defenses would be unmanned. If the Xianbei took the opportunity to attack, Bingzhou would be in danger.

You thought that he should send his trusted aides to recruit soldiers and horses to Bingzhou, and take over the governor's charge to guard Bingzhou while he was attacking Hanzhong."

Although the Xianbei have been repeatedly attacked by high-ranking officials in recent years, their power is not weak; it can even be called strong, otherwise there would be no need to station 20,000 troops in Bingzhou.

This time, when Gao Gan went to fight Zhang Lu, no one knew how long he would be away from Bingzhou.

If the Xianbei launched a large-scale attack, Bingzhou's 10,000 troops might not be able to stop them, especially without a backbone in place.

"Ziyuan's words make sense."

Yuan Shao did not take the Xianbei seriously at first, but he heard Gao Gan raise this concern some time ago, and after hearing what Xu You said today, he began to take it seriously.

After thinking for a while, he looked at Tian Feng and others and asked, "Who do you think is the most suitable person to be sent to guard Bingzhou?"

As soon as the words fell, the two brothers Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang said in unison: "Father, I am willing to go!"

Everyone immediately looked at the two brothers.

Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang also looked at each other with anger in their eyes.

Finally, Yuan Shang spoke first, "Father has promised to let you govern Youzhou in the future. Why are you still going to Bingzhou?"

Yuan Xi said with an unchanged expression: "After all, Youzhou has not been conquered yet. Father also said before that he hopes I can accumulate more experience in governance.

This time, I am here to guard Bingzhou for my brother. This is a good opportunity to learn how to govern a state. Third brother, you are still young, so just stay in Yecheng and don't fight with me."

"Brother, don't be too greedy!" Yuan Shang was a little annoyed, with a hint of anger in his eyes. In his opinion, Yuan Xi already had Youzhou, but he still wanted to compete with him for Bingzhou, which was simply hateful!

Both brothers knew that their father Yuan Shao was very fond of their brother Gao Gan.

If Gao Gan took Hanzhong as his base and seized Yizhou, he would be too busy to take care of Bingzhou.

In this way, whoever is in Bingzhou during this period will be able to make friends with senior officials, and may be able to truly control Bingzhou through senior officials.

With such a great prospect, both of them want to compete for it.

Yuan Xi said calmly: "Bingzhou is an important place. There are Xianbei in the north and Ma Teng in the west. How can you show off your strength when you have no experience in commanding troops?"

"You..." Yuan Shang originally wanted to argue with Yuan Xi, but Yuan Shao interrupted their argument.

"Stop arguing." Yuan Shao frowned and glanced at his two sons. Compared with Yuan Tan who had already rushed to Qingzhou, they were still not steady enough.

Glancing at the counselors in the hall, Yuan Shao said, "Please share your opinions."

His question was actually a test.

He wanted to see which of his sons his advisers preferred.

Guo Tu was the first to stand up and said, "My Lord, I think it would be better to let the Second Young Master go to guard Bingzhou."

Xin Ping also followed suit: "Gong Ze's words are very true. After all, the Third Prince is still young. I'm afraid he won't be able to convince the people after he goes to Bingzhou."

Over the years, the third son Yuan Shang was quite favored by Liu, and he was also handsome, so Yuan Shao wanted to make him his heir.

Guo Tu and Xin Ping had always been on good terms with Yuan Tan, and they hoped that Yuan Tan would inherit the throne in the future so that the family's prosperity could continue.

At this time, they naturally tried their best to stop Yuan Shang from going to Bingzhou, and recommended Yuan Xi, who was neither the eldest son nor the youngest son, and was also the least competitive. Feng Ji snorted coldly, and scolded Guo Tu and Xin Ping without giving them any face: "What nonsense! The generals of Bingzhou are all the confidants of the cousin, and the third son is the son of the general. If he goes to Bingzhou, who dares not to obey, who can not obey?"

As he spoke, he bowed to Yuan Shao and said, "My lord, I think we should let the third son go to Bingzhou and take this opportunity to gain some experience so that he can better help you govern the area in the future."

The two men each insisted on their own opinion and neither would give in.

On the surface, each has his own reasons, but in reality it is a dispute over succession.

Guo Tu and Xin Ping supported the eldest son Yuan Tan. Feng Ji, as one of Yuan Shao's most trusted people, knew that Yuan Shao and Liu loved the youngest son, so he became friends with Yuan Shang early on.

Also supporting Yuan Shang was Shen Pei, who had an unfriendly relationship with Feng Ji at that time.

It was rare that I agreed with Feng Ji's words.

Only Ju Shou, Tian Feng and Xu You said nothing, looking at each other with their eyes and noses, without making any statement.

After listening to the arguments from both sides, Yuan Shao felt that each of them had their own reasons. For a moment, he was overwhelmed and didn't know how to make a decision.

After thinking for a moment, he looked at Tian Feng, then at Ju Shou, and finally turned his gaze to Xu You.

"Ziyuan, who do you think is more suitable to temporarily take over as governor of Bingzhou when Yuancai goes to attack Hanzhong, Xianfu or Xianyi?"

Seeing Yuan Shao asking Xu You for his opinion, Yuan Xi was secretly delighted, while Yuan Shang looked gloomy.

Everyone present knew that Xu You and Yuan Xi had been uncle and nephew, and they had a very good relationship in private, long before Dong Zhuo disrupted the government.

Xu You stroked his beard and pondered for a long time before answering: "My lord, I think it would be better to let the third son go to Bingzhou. After the spring, the war in Youzhou will start. Since the second son will be the governor of Youzhou in the future, he naturally needs to stay with you to gain experience."

This answer caught Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang off guard.

Yuan Xi's expression was dull, his eyes full of disbelief!
Yuan Shang showed a look of delight, secretly cast a grateful look at Xu You, and then quickly bowed to Yuan Shao.

"Father, my eldest brother is now guarding Qingzhou, and my second brother will also guard Youzhou. Although I am not talented, I also want to share your worries! Please allow me to temporarily guard Bingzhou on behalf of my brother!"

Yuan Shao had always favored his youngest son, so he did not hesitate and nodded, saying, "In that case, you will temporarily replace Gao Gan to guard Bingzhou. Don't let your father down when you go to Bingzhou."

"I will obey your command and live up to your trust!" Yuan Shang immediately knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and said in a loud voice.

Yuan Xi, who was standing by, could no longer suppress his anger. He put aside all his concerns and questioned Yuan Shao in front of everyone: "Why doesn't father let me go to Bingzhou! How am I worse than my third brother! Why does father always favor my third brother!"

All the counselors present were dumbfounded.

It is no wonder that Yuan Xi has no support since he is so cunning. It is also no wonder that Yuan Shao, as the de facto eldest son, does not think highly of him.

Jia Xu, who was in the corner, gently shook his feather fan, and the corners of his mouth hidden behind the fan slightly raised.

"presumptuous!"

Yuan Shao was furious: "Is this how you talk to your father?!"

Yuan Xi was unmoved and sneered, "Isn't what I said wrong? After my eldest brother was adopted by my uncle Yuan Ji, I became the eldest son in the family! Why is father so partial to my third brother?"

"Snapped--!"

Yuan Shao was so angry that he slapped Yuan Xi hard on the face, causing blood to flow from the corner of his mouth.

"Lord, calm down!"

Everyone was shocked and rushed forward to hold Yuan Shao.

He was afraid that he would beat Yuan Xi to death in a rage.

Yuan Shao's face was so gloomy that water seemed to be dripping out of it, like the sky before a storm.

He glanced at Yuan Xi with a cold gaze and uttered three words:
"Get out!"

The left side of Yuan Xi's face was swollen. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth vigorously and left the meeting hall without saying a word.

"Father……"

Yuan Shang swallowed his saliva. At this moment, he was both surprised and happy.

What was surprising was that Yuan Xi actually dared to disobey his father in public.

The good news is that after this incident, Yuan Xi might completely lose the qualification to compete for the throne!
"That's enough for today, everyone please leave!"

Yuan Shao's voice sounded calm, but everyone could feel the anger he was suppressing in his heart.

However, just as everyone was preparing to retreat, Yuan Shao, who was already in poor health, became so angry at Yuan Xi's defiance that he fainted on the ground.

"Lord!"

"Father!"

"Go call the medical officer!"

In the chaos, Xu You and Jia Xu looked at each other, and then left one after Yuan Shao was sent to the side room.

……

Yuan Xi's residence, study.

"Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!"

Yuan Xi almost went insane. He swung his sword wildly in the study, making the whole room a mess.

"How can the Second Young Master accomplish anything great if he is so impatient?"

Yuan Xi turned around and saw Jia Xu standing at the door. He pointed his sword at Jia Xu and said coldly, "Why didn't you speak up for me at my father's house just now?"

At this time, his hair was disheveled, his eyes were bloodshot, his left face was swollen, and there was a clearly visible slap mark.

Jia Xu used his feather fan to push away Yuan Xi's sword and shook his head slightly.

"The general had already discussed with Xu You about who would temporarily take over as governor of Bingzhou. Otherwise, why do you think Xu You would nominate the third prince?

What's more, even if the general asked you to go to Bingzhou, what would happen?

Bingzhou and Youzhou are both unimportant. The only important thing is Jizhou.

When the general promised you the governorship of Youzhou, you had already lost your right to inherit the throne."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xi immediately understood why Xu You, who had a better relationship with him, would recommend Yuan Shang.

It turned out that my father had already made the decision.

He gritted his teeth and felt extremely sad in his heart.

The hand holding the sword trembled constantly, and finally fell down weakly, and the whole person collapsed to the ground, as if his spine was broken all of a sudden.

"You can go now." Yuan Xi stared at the floor with lifeless eyes, and said disheartenedly: "Father has always favored my third brother, and I disobeyed him today. As you said, I have lost the right to inherit the throne."

"Not necessarily." Jia Xu walked in front of Yuan Xi and lowered his voice and said, "There is still one last way. It depends on whether the Second Young Master wants to seize it and whether he dares to seize it."

"What road?" Yuan Xi suddenly raised his head.

Jia Xu squatted down, picked up the sword on the ground and placed it in Yuan Xi's hand, then stared straight into his eyes.

"Man proposes, God disposes."

"Kill your father and seize the throne!"

(End of this chapter)